EDITOR Christopher Barrett
JUNIOR NEWS REPORTER Joe Gallop
JUNIOR NEWS REPORTER Olivia Powell
SALES DIRECTOR James Linin
PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Sabrina Boucher
SALES MANAGER Joanne Knowles
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Duncan Siegle
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kateryna Smirnova
PAGE PRODUCTION PA Media
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During the 10 months I have been editing this venerable publication , I have only had the fortune to attend two physical events , both with social distancing . They were brilliantly run examples of how events professionals can adapt to the most difficult of circumstances and the public ’ s continued love of live entertainment no matter the format , but nothing beats the atmosphere and togetherness of a ‘ normal ’ show .
It ’ s been a long time coming , but finally I will attend my first event as editor of Access without the need to wear a mask or keep my distance from others . The show , at The O2 arena on 11 May , will be far from my first experience of attending The BRIT Awards , but it promises to be more of a celebration than ever , and there are few events I have looked forward to more .
The BRITs is the latest show in the Events Research Programme ( ERP ), which has already seen the event industry ’ s elite unite to safely stage an array of events including Wembley Stadium football matches , an outdoor gig for 5,000 and two club nights . On page 23 , we examine the immense amount of hard work that went into making these events happen , and the key people and companies involved .
On page 28 , we profile the Black Deer Festival team as it boldly prepares to open the festival season by staging the first major outdoor event following Stage 4 of the re-opening roadmap .
Access ’ s sister event , the Event Production Show , is another major landmark . Taking place at Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre on 26-27 May under Covid-safe guidelines , EPS will be the first major live event for the live events industry for 14 months . Turn to page 33 for more details , including the great line-up of speakers at the Access All Areas mainstage conference .
Insurance remains the Holy Grail for the outdoor events industry and , according to the AIF , more than 20 % of independent festivals with capacities of more than 5,000 have been cancelled due to Government inaction on indemnity . However , almost daily we are seeing plans for new events launched , and as we await the result of the ERP we can only hope that May proves to be the start of a much brighter era for our industry .
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Christopher Barrett , Editor
@ access _ aa @ access _ aa
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